Ever Done This....?

[bkohlman]

Only taken one type of bait (fluke/senko/crankbait/etc....) on an outing? I have thought about this many times, for a challenge or just to get used to a new bait in my arsenal. Let me know if you have done such a thing, what you used, and how it went!

[1234567]

Several times with several different types of baits. Whenever I'm trying to learn a new technique I do this to force myself to learn. You will be happy you did for sure! For example, when I started learning the jig, I bought around 40 of the basspatrol football jigs from *** to start. It seemed like forever before I could decipher the difference from a bite or just bumping into a rock. Feeling what a shell bed, hard sand, or muck, weeds whatever the bottom was like. I didn't do this for one day, I did this for weeks. Yes I saw fish feeding on top and yada yada yada, but I was not looking to catch a fish on top, it was on a jig that I was trying to learn.

[FillupD]

I've been on outings where I had only used senko's but had other baits close by. I think I would feel helpless if I was unable to attempt to try to find a pattern for a succesful outing if the fish were not cooperating. There is the possiblity that you would use one type of lure and be lucky enough to hit it right, but I would not feel comfortable not having options. Personally I couldn't stand the thought of going out with only one rod & reel setup.

[DavePNW]

I do this just about everytime I go fishing. Sometimes I bring a tackle box and another rod but I'm down to one rod and bank fishing lugging around my tackle box isn't the most fun. So most times I just tie on a lure and head out or grab a bag of plastics!

[retiredbosn]

Everytime I want to learn a new bait or technique everything else stays home. Forces u to learn or get skunked. I will say that it is the best way to learn. Crankbaits for example, would have never learned how and where to fish them if I hadn't left everything thing else at home. Its to easy to pick up the jig rod or senko rod to avoid a skunk.

[Shane Procell]

If I am on a confident pattern bite like a frog bite, I do it all the time. I have also wished I had my tackle box on more than one occasion.

[scaleface]

I do it when I walk down to the pond. Sometimes I will have an extra lure in a pocket.

[Marty]

I know taking one lure could be good for learning, but I've never had the guts to do it. I want to maximize my chances every time out even if it costs me some learning experience.

[retiredbosn]

U don't necessarily have to take one lure. Lets say you want to learn drop shotting. Only that rod and terminal tackle, but take a couple of different soft baits, ie Robo Worms, baby flukes, etc. different colors to experiment. I took several different crankbaits when I was learning. Or senko fishing, that bait can be used t-rigged, wacky, Carolina rig, weightless, on a stand up jig, etc. But without committing to that bait for a while you would never experiment

[MCS]

Yes all the time. I fish on the way to work do usually I only have time for a lure or two. Or I take one of topwater, vibe worms or toads, and one of something else like trick worm, stick or fluke and us just those two. Or sometimes same lure but 2 different colors. like others there are times when u wish u had more. It is good though if one presentation doesnt work you have try other methods until u get a strike.

[Hooligan]

Nope, never. I'll make the effort to fish a tactic or bait I'm not familiar or comfortable with, but I will not intentionally limit myself. By not having my tackle on the water, I may have eliminated another tactic that I'm not as good with, that fish ARE hitting.

[scallop94]

ive done that with senkos, seems like one of the most versatile baits.

[Bluebasser86]

Only if I have a very limted time to fish, like I might take one rod with one crank or spinnerbait if I only have 20 minutes before or after work or something. Otherwise I'm going to have extras.

[K_Mac]

I'm with Hooligan on this. If I am working on a drop shot and fish start blowing up on top chasing shad, I have shot myself in the foot. There are times when I am locked in on a bite as Captain Shane mentioned, but I will still bring a wide selection along-just in case.

[Darren.]

Yup.

[papajoe222]

I've done it before to learn and gain confidence in a particular type of bait. I never caught a thing on a spinnerbait until I did this. Granted, I never kept one tied on long, but doing this really built up my confidence in them. I really need to do it with drop shotting as that's the ONLY way I'll ever use the technique.

[ClackerBuzz]

i tried the one rod/lure method early on and found it to be unproductive for some specific reasons.

you need to be in the right location (small pond, small lake, big lake environment), depth and time of year for specific lures. ie no point in burning a rattletrap in a shallow pond in the middle of august. senko's would be a better choice. you've just wasted a perfectly good day trying to force a trap on the fish.

i found it better to study what 2-3 lures would be best for the conditions AND what gear to use. ie use much lighter line (6-8lb fluoro on spinning gear) in ultra clear/gin, pressured or unpressured water. after observing that modification you can test lighter, natural lures. no point in throwing a 3/4oz football jig on 50lb braid all day. just b/c you 'want to learn football jigs' doesn't mean the conditions are right or the fish 'want to eat it'.

I've gone out with 3 baitcasters, 3/8-1/2oz dedicated lures to learn, 12-15lb fluoro. Been happy i "stuck to my plan" but only got 1-2 fish. Re-evaluated and gone back the next day with 3 spinning rods, weightless to 1/8oz lures, 6-10lb fluoro...and cleaned house. I realized it was more about reading the conditions than learning a lure.

Edited November 4, 2012 by ClackerBuzz

[SirSnookalot]

I do it when I walk down to the pond. Sometimes I will have an extra lure in a pocket.

The only reason I have a second lure in my pocket is in case I lose the first one. If I'm going to pick that one lure to have with me, there is only 1 choice and that's a bucktail jig, extremely versatile and nothing catches a wider variety of fish, and I can fish that jig in a number of different ways. I can catch bluegill, bass, tarpon, snook and about everything else in between with the same one. I do use other lures but that's only for my own change of pace.

[WDinarte]

depend on the fishing intention, if I go out to try and learn a lure... sure I will take just one, but if my intention is to catch some probable will take like two or more with me.

Most of my time I have my back pack " just in case " but I always ending to use only one or two.

"Is the feeling that you will need what you don't have"

[Topwaterspook]

I have done this. A few decades ago, this is exactly how I built confidence in plastic worms. I believe it's a great learning tool.

[Bankbeater]

Never have. There have been too many times that I have thrown everything at them and not had a hit. The bait you leave at home may be the one that you catch a hawg with.

[SissySticks]

This is an interesting thread, because I think it highlights one of the fundamental tactical disputes in bass fishing-- is it better to be versatile in the sense of using a large number of different baits effectively, or is it better to be a master of a few baits and know how to adapt those few baits to changing conditions? For example, baits like tubes or straight worms are so versatile they can be used an almost infinite number of ways; you can drop shot them, texas rig them, pitch them, cast them, weighted, weightless, etc. Jigs, likewise, can be really versatile; slow or fast, swim them, drag them, yo-yo them, they can look like almost anything if you are creative and are truly a master of the partcular bait. The master of a particular bait is going to switch up his presentation and location with that same bait a lot. On the other hand, a guy who is versatile with a lot of different baits is going to switch up baits a lot. In twenty years of bass fishing, I've been both types of angler, but now I'm more of a "few baits" guy. When I was more versatile, there would certainly be days when I'd kill the fish on a particular bait that I would find late in the day. But there'd be days I switched up so much that I never really gave a single bait a chance and didn't catch fish. Now, there are days when a spinnerbait will kick my butt and I won't throw one, but I catch more fish more consistently than I used to because I am more focused on location and the right presentation, not finding the right lure.

If you're going for mastery of a particular bait, then fish with it, and only it, for a whole season or a whole year. You'll know how to do a million things with it. If you're going for versatility, take out a whole bunch of baits and learn how to read which bait works best in a specific situation.

[haydenf96]

I do this all the time, I take one presentation or lure and just work it all day. I used to live on and near several lakes so I would do this nearly every day

[Ratherbfishing]

My tacklebox is bulging at the seams because I hate to leave anything home. I don't feel like I get enough time out on the water anyway, to be limiting myself. Besides, I feel like I'd be trying to get the fish to conform to what I expect rather than learning or adapting to the conditions or what the fish want. But it would force me to learn certain techniques better. I'll grant you that.

[Traveler2586]

Every time I want to learn a new bait or technique everything else stays home. Forces u to learn or get skunked. I will say that it is the best way to learn. Crankbaits for example, would have never learned how and where to fish them if I hadn't left everything thing else at home. Its to easy to pick up the jig rod or senko rod to avoid a skunk.

Agreed, it's the best way to learn the finer points of using a bait. Even though I've been fishing for decades from time to time I'll pick a "bait for a day" and leave everything else in the lockers. If I get skunked, that's fishing, I don't care; the point of the activity is to learn the bait and where best to use them, do that and the fish will come.

If you ever get the opportunity, try casting in a large community swimming pool where you can see the baits action and learn to work the bait different ways. Talk to the pools manager and ask for an hour or so before the pool opens in the morning. One such time I got into the pool to watch as my fishing partner did the casting....... This was long before TV cameras went under water in Bass fishing.